Marc's Rules around the time of 1st / 2nd PPL Checkride

I just found this buried on my website - Most of it is original but some seems like it's been written before - somewhere.

....................
MARS: Marc's Aeronautical RuleS

A: Requirements for licensee.
1. Must be able to see over instrument panel and nose of Piper Cherokee during a no flap landing.
2. Must speak, read, write (legibly) AND spell English.
3. Must have received all appropriate training.
4. Must solo fly 3 successful take offs and 3 successful landings.
a: No physical damage may be incurred at any time during the first solo flight and all starts and stops MUST be on the paved surface of the airport (if appropriate).
5. Must NEVER excuse improper actions by explaining that "My instructor never told me that." (my instructor's rule for students when dealing with FAA Checkrides)

B: MFAA Checkrides
1. Do NOT argue with the FAA checkpilot.
a: Remember - the checkpilot is as afraid of you as you are nervous about the most important thing that you've ever done.
You have trained your instructor to have developed logical reasons for being tense at certain times while flying with you - but the FAA checkpilot has every right and duty to assume that you know nothing and have very little skill -
b: If FAA checkpilot decides to push on the rudder while you are flying:
1. First time, ask politely if he pushed on the rudder.
2. Second time, make the checkpilot aware that there is 3-4 inches left to move the seat back.
3. Third time: Tell dude to "Keep your feet OFF the "exp. del." rudder pedals." Use at your own discretion - it will usually mean that the check pilot will soon decide to terminate the test very soon after that. Good to use if you are getting cranky, too. (used only once years ago, and not recommended....)

Airspaces:

Class A:
18,000+ ft.
"I'll never be there. Say with southern drawl - like "Al never be there.".
It is ALWAYS IFR - never VFR.

Class B:
That's the Red Rings with altitudes AGL listed -
Class B = BAD - don't go there.
That's around big airports like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago / O'Hare.
OK to travel into WITH Mode C transponder AND absolute PERMISSION to do so - NOT just radio contact!!!
Private Pilot: OK to enter with permission AND land.
Student Pilot: OK to enter w/ instructor and ATC permission but NOT OK to land.

Class C:
Airports with a tower and control areas -
Remember "Congested".
Commonly contact approach control 20 miles out and use them and then Tower.
Airspace dimensions, on top, maybe 4000ft AGL and 20nm in diameter / 10nm radius.

Class D:
Airports with a control tower - maybe full time, maybe not....
Remember "CD" or "Class Dinky".
Airspace commonly, on top, maybe 2500 ft AGL and 8nm diameter / 4 nm radius. Usually from ground level to top of airspace.
Must establish radio contact.

Basic Flying Rules

1. Try to stay in the middle of the air.

2. Do not go near the edges of it.

3. The edges of the air can be recognized by the appearance of ground, buildings, sea, trees and interstellar space. It is much more difficult to fly there.

4. Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding it or doing anything about it.

5. That thin veneer of confidence that you exhibited early in a flight lesson will slowly erode away as more onerous tasks are completed.

6. A smooth landing is mostly luck; two in a row is all luck; three in a row is prevarication, but the beginning of a fragile trend.

7. An older "hershey bars wing" Cherokee 140, short field landing config, 40 deg flaps, power at idle, ~75mph at 20 msl above a runway, can indeed perform a "go around". Smoothly and firmly, apply full throttle, correct pitch angle and clean up aircraft and carry on......

7a. Cherokee 140, short field landing config, 40 deg flaps, power at idle, ~70mph at 20 msl above a runway, can indeed perform a the above "go around", but is absolutely incapable of a unplanned graceful "emergency landing" if the FAA examiner says "go around" and then "engine out" and chops power just after the engine clears out at full throttle and you have just not quite yet attained powered straight and level flight speed and attitude at 20 ft msl at 72 mph with full flaps........ Even if you ignore simulated engine out condition, drop the nose and slam throttle full open. (He claimed he said "Full power" right after I slammed the throttle forward, I never heard him....)
We hit the ground (I mean "landed") just as the engine ran clean at something around 71ish mph - nice 3 point "landing". Then... power to idle.....
VERY short, power off landing.

I should have had a clue that the check pilot wasn't very familiar with the mighty Cherokee as he kept slamming the door as we started, in Cessna fashion, trying to make it latch......... If he didn't remember the door usage, I'll bet that he didn't know that classic Cherokees do not fly well at 70 mph at level attitude, closed throttle, full flaps with only 20ft to recover.....

Other than that, my 2nd PPL FAA Checkride went peachy fine.
Oh... my first FAA checkride?
Err....
See way above on how to confidently terminate a Checkride......

 

Note to self:
Delete all the specifics of "non-air" items and insert "non-air" in general.......

Did I ever mention I can get carried away??? ;-)

M